On the Other Side of the Town
by gracia.michelle
Summary: A "submit your own character" story. Got an interesting character in mind that you think might fit right into the world of TVD? Write to us and let's see how they fare in the world of vampires, witches, werewolves, hybrids, heretics and doppelgangers!
1. Call for Characters

So, I had a suggestion from gleekygal the other day asking if I could work on a submit your own character type of story. Now I had no clue what that meant but I looked it up online and it seems like it could be a lot of fun. So for those of you who like me are wondering what it means, it basically means that you create a character of your own - a completely made up character that you would like to read about or someone you think might fit into the show well. This character can even be inspired by other characters that you've watched on other TV shows or read about in some book or even a real person but there has to be a little bit of originality to it. So if you have someone like that on your mind, all you have to do is write to me by filling the form below and leave me a review or even a PM with the details. Every character that you suggest will appear in the story for some amount of time. If there's a character that's especially interesting, he/she just might end up being the lead of the story as well.

Anyway, I have a couple of weeks of vacation coming very soon at which time I intend to complete one of the stories I have going on now and make a decent amount of progress on the other one as well. I figured I would post the form on here and see if any of you were interested in something like that. If I get enough response on this, I thought I would add this to my list as well. Just so you know, this will be an all new story which I will continue posting right here and gleekygal has also agreed to help me so hopefully, together, we're going to be able to bring out a story that you'll really enjoy.

Now on to the actual story - we're looking at a supernatural storyline and the characters that you suggest will coexist with the rest of the Mystic Falls gang. So rack your brains a little, can you think of a friend who would fit into the TVD universe perfectly as a vampire or would you like to see how that annoying guy you know fares as a human in Mystic Falls? Leave us a review and let's find out.

Full name:

Nicknames (optional):

Age/Grade:

What supernatural species are they:

Personality:

Celebrity lookalike (optional):

Appearance:

Family members:

History (Any significant information about their life's) (optional):

PS: If there's anything else you would like to know, PM me or leave a review right here.


	2. 1 Welcome to Mystic Falls

_AN: And the wait is over (for those of you who were waiting :P). This story will happen in parallel with what happened on the show so look out for some familiar dialogues. Before I actually get to the story, we'd like to thank everyone who submitted their characters for the story and let me tell you, your characters sound fantastic and we do have a plan for all of them. So keep your eyes open, you never know when your characters might pop up in the story. This first chapter introduces two characters, Callie Lockwood (an OC from gleegurl100) and Louis Williams (an OC from TVD123). So here goes nothing. I hope you guys like it. Please do review and favourite and follow and if you have a character you want to submit, just send us a message or leave the description in the review. Enjoy!_

Callie Lockwood stepped out of the airport and into the harsh sunlight. She squint her eyes as she scanned the parking lot looking for a familiar face. She sighed and dropped her heavy suitcase by the side of the road and sat down on top of it. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and searched her contacts for her uncle's phone number. Just as she was about to hit dial, she heard an obnoxiously loud horn. She grinned when she saw her cousin. Tyler wave at her from inside his truck but didn't return the smile. He got out and helped her load her luggage before turning around to hug her. He held her at a distance and took in her appearance. She wore dark denim and an almost too short red blouse. The piercings really just reiterated her status as the rebel. "What happened to the girl who got mad at her mother because she couldn't wear her hello kitty nightgown to sleep every night?" he asked her.

"She grew up and realised that there are so many other things that are so much more fun", she said simply as she hopped into the truck. "Where's Uncle Richard anyway? He said he would be picking me up."

"He's the mayor so he's kind of busy", answered Tyler. "There's a beauty pageant today and the whole town's kind of gearing up for it. Oh and before I forget, my mom expects you to be there."

"Small town celebrations really aren't my thing", said Callie as she idly watched the changing scenery through the window.

"Well, you're a Lockwood so whether you like it or not, you're going to be there", said Tyler. "You'll also have to wear a dress", he added with a smirk.

"You're enjoying this way too much", said Callie, fixing him with a glare.

Tyler glanced at her and shook his head. "It's just nice knowing that there's going to be at least one other person there who hates these things as much as I do." From then until they arrived at the Lockwood mansion, an awkward silence stretched between the two. As soon as they were home, Tyler helped her with her luggage and showed her to her room.

"The event starts in two hours so you've got one hour to get ready and be down. I'll take you to the Founder's Hall myself", Tyler told her before leaving her alone in her room.

The first thing that Callie noticed when she stepped into the house was how big it was. She knew that the Lockwoods had money but she herself had never really lived in luxury. She and her mother, Emily Lockwood had lived a comfortable life in Florida. Emily had been a hairdresser and had been just a few signatures away from opening her own high end boutique and salon. She had been so excited and had even told Callie on multiple occasions that things were really taking off and Emily had been right. Things were going great for Emily and Callie for about five months after the opening of the boutique but from then on, things had taken a turn for the worst. Emily met Neil at a bar on one of her girls' nights out and the two had really hit it off. When Callie finally got to meet Neil, she could tell that there was something off about him. She had tried to warn her mother, she really had. But soon, she saw how happy Emily was with Neil and tried to convince herself that she was just being paranoid. Now, two years later, she was forced to admit that she hadn't been imagining any of it. Neil really was bad news. He had gotten her mother into drugs and partying. Emily had taken to the lifestyle and as of last week, both Emily and Neil had been arrested and charged with possession. That's what had landed her on Richard Lockwood's doorstep. When Richard had heard about his sister's impending jail time, he had wasted no time in taking Callie in. She was grateful to him and his wife, Carol Lockwood for that which is why she was going to attend the stupid pageant and be a good little girl for the remainder of the time that she was to spend at Mystic Falls. It went against her nature but she was going to try anyway.

She breathed a sigh and took a good look at the room that was going to be hers for the next year and a half. For the first time she noticed the garment bad that lay on her bed. She unzipped it and found a short black dress with a white belt. It was trimmed with elegant lace work and Callie smiled as she was forced to admit that her aunt really did have good taste in clothes. She quickly stepped into the bathroom and found that it was laid out with towels. She washed her hair out and made a quick job out of getting ready. She slipped the dress on and then went through her suitcase and found a pair of black stilettos to wear. As she was blow drying her damp hair, she heard a knock and Tyler called out, "It's time to go Callie. If you're not out in ten minutes, I'm leaving you here." She rolled her eyes and yelled out, "I'll be down in a minute." She decided to wear her hair straight and then went downstairs to see Tyler impatiently pacing the hall. The minute he saw her, he just huffed and walked out. It must be the werewolf in him, Callie thought with a smile and got into the car lest he make good on his promise of leaving her there.

The minute, they reached the Tyler disappeared from view and she was left all alone. She just couldn't figure Tyler out. All of a sudden he was nice to her and then the next he would act like he couldn't be bothered with her. That was just Tyler she figured and began wandering around the hall until she reached the large room with a set of staircase. The place truly was beautiful.

"This is where we'll be introducing our contestants", she heard a voice say behind her. "They'll walk down the stairs, join their escorts down here and then they'll walk out to the front and there will be a dance."

"Aunt Carol", exclaimed Callie, recognizing the voice. She laughed as her aunt engulfed her in a big hug. "Thank you so much for taking me in", she said.

"Richard and I are happy to have you here", said Carol. "I'm sorry we couldn't come pick you up at the airport."

"That's alright", answered Callie. "It was nice to see Tyler anyway."

A woman tapped Carol on the shoulder and whispered something into her ear. Carol nodded and turned to Callie again, "Why don't you just have a look around and watch the competition? If you like it, maybe we can even talk about you entering next year. Uncle Richard will give you a call at the end of the night when we're ready to leave and we can catch up on the ride back home. I have to get back to the contestants now. Will you be alright?"

"I'll be fine, Aunt Carol", Callie reassured her.

Just as Carol walked away, she heard Tyler say, "I thought you were little miss rebel. I wasn't expecting to find you talking to my mom about competing in one of these things."

"You were right", said Callie evenly. "Beauty pageants aren't really my thing but as long as I'm here in Mystic Falls, I'm going to do everything I can to stay in line."

"Huh, good luck with that", said Tyler with a smirk, before leaving her alone again.

Tyler really was every bit the spoilt brat she knew him to be. When he had come to pick her up at the airport, she had almost thought that he had changed. She shook her head and continued to explore the large hall. She walked up the stairs and she saw a number of rooms. Some of the doors were slightly open while others were closed. In one of the rooms, she saw a blonde girl wearing an emerald green dress adding the final touches to her make up. This must be where the contestants get all dolled up for the pageant, she thought. She was about to go back downstairs when she heard someone rush past. She turned around and saw a tall man in a suit dashing through one of the doors and slamming it shut. She heard glass shatter and wondered if she should go in and check. Just then Carol appeared from one of the rooms and said, "Callie, why don't you go down stairs? The pageant is about to start." Callie nodded and headed down the stairs trying to shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Soon the contestants walked down the stairs one by one, joined their escorts and began an old fashioned dance. She knew that most girls her age would find it romantic and would probably wish they were one of those girls too. But not Callie, she just got bored. She still stayed until the blonde beauty she had seen getting ready earlier was crowned Miss Mystic Falls. By the time it was all over, it was dark outside and she remembered she still had to wait for her aunt and uncle. She also remembered the woods just outside and decided to take a walk. Besides, she'd seen enough strangers to last her a life time.

A while later, she heard a shrill scream not too far away from her. She began to run towards the voice but stopped short when she remembered the last thing her friend Louis Williams had told her. A part of her wanted to run to the girl who was obviously in distress but she knew the risks and if something went wrong, she wasn't sure if she would be able to handle the consequences. Her mind made up, she walked slowly trying not to make any noise and before long, she spotted the source of all the confusion. She stood a little ways away and made sure that she was well hidden behind the trees. One of the men had his back to her while she could see the profile of the other. She couldn't tell for sure, but she was convinced that he was one of the contestant's escorts. There were two girls there as well, one of whom was clearly a contestant and the other, Callie had seen her walking around. She took a few steps forward with the intention of eavesdropping but froze when one of the men threw the other with ease and the man crumpled to the ground but got back to his feet in less than a second. There was no way he should have been able to get up unharmed. She heard one of the girls cry out, "Stefan, stop it." Within seconds, the attacker, whose name apparently was Stefan, sank to his knees clutching his head. They all turned to glance at the shorter of the two girls, who looked as calm and as in control as can be. The man then walked closer to his attacker saying, "It's okay. Stefan." The soothing words only made the attacker run away.

It was then that Callie noticed the girl lying limp on the forest floor. She gasped and the man's head snapped in her direction and she immediately ducked behind the tree. She wasn't sure if she had been caught but the man stared straight at her for a few more seconds before turning back to the girls and telling the girls that he was going to call the sheriff. Callie held her breath and prayed that none of them would come her way and for once, things went her way. The sheriff soon arrived and from what she could make out of the conversation, it seemed as if the three of them were covering for the attacker. She just couldn't understand why. The girls both said that they didn't see anything suspicious while it was clear to Callie that they knew the man who had attacked the girl.

Once the girls had walked away, she head the sheriff ask the man, "They didn't see the bite mark?"

"No I got here before they got too close", answered the man. "There was too much blood, they couldn't see clearly."

Callie's head was starting to spin. She just couldn't make sense of what was going on. The police were all over the place and the man soon left sparing only a backward glance to where she stood hidden. As soon as she was sure that he was out of sight, she walked out of the woods and found herself among the thinning crowds. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the same man fixing her with a curious look and just like that, she knew he had seen her in the woods. Her guts told her that she needed to stay far away from the man. To her, he spelled trouble and that was exactly what she was trying to avoid.

She darted up the stairs and found one of the rooms and sitting down, she called Louis. Louis was an old friend of the Lockwoods. He had grown up in Mystic Falls but had later moved to Florida. He had reconnected with Emily after she moved to Florida. Over the years, Louis had become a friend and confidante. She knew she could tell him anything or in this case, ask him anything. When he picked up the call, she asked, "Louis, is there something I need to know about Mystic Falls?"

"Not particularly", she heard him answer. "Is something wrong?" She could hear the concern in his voice.

"This girl was attacked", she told him. "I didn't see what happened but I heard the sheriff ask if anyone else had seen the bite marks. Are there more werewolves here?"

"The only werewolves in Mystic Falls are the Lockwoods and none of them has triggered the curse yet", he said. "Actually, there's Mason. But that's recent development."

"Uncle Mason triggered the curse?" asked Callie in shock.

"He did", answered Louis. "He got into a fight with this guy and ended up killing him which is exactly why you need to keep your nose clean."

"Then how did the guy attack the girl?" asked Callie again.

"Vampires", said Louis.

"Haha", Callie mock laughed. "That's not funny, Louis."

"I'm not trying to be funny", said Louis with a sigh. "There's history of vampires in Mystic Falls but the last time I was there, the place was clean. But what you're describing right now sounds a lot like it."

Callie took a deep breath. "Couldn't you have given me an inkling before I left?" she asked as she started pacing the room.

"Whatever happens, Callie, just stay away from them", he said to her. "You're not a werewolf. You just have the gene in you. A vampire could still hurt you."

"I don't intend to go anywhere near him", she said. She heard a beep and looked at the screen and noticed an incoming call from Richard Lockwood. "Hey, I should get going. Uncle Richard's calling me."

"Alright", said Louis. "I'll talk to you later."

Callie hung up and opened the door. She gasped when she ran right into a blue eyed stranger. "New in town are we?" he asked her.

"Yes", she stammered.

The man smiled at her although it didn't seem genuine at all. "Welcome to Mystic Falls then", he said and laid his hand on her shoulder and forcing her to look into his eyes. "Now I want you to tell me the truth. Were you at the woods just a little while back? Actually on second thought, don't answer, just nod if you were there."

Callie felt as if she wasn't in control of her own actions as she nodded once.

"What did you see?" he asked again.

"There was a girl, she was hurt. You were there and so were two other girls. You knew the man who attacked her but you told the sheriff that you didn't", she said. She had no idea why she was telling him all this. Wasn't her plan to stay far away from him? "I heard the sheriff ask if the girls saw the bite marks."

"Teenagers these days", he said rolling his eyes. "Alright, now here's the thing. I'm having a really bad day and I would like nothing more than to kill you right now. Besides, I'd be rid of one of my problems. But I can't do that right now. For a bunch of people who've never dealt with vampires before, the council here is pretty decent. So you're going to forget what you saw at the woods." Callie tried to turn away, but she couldn't. "You were taking a walk and you saw a girl was hurt and there were people trying to help her. You got scared and you ran back here and hid out in your room. You were just leaving when I stopped to ask you about the night." Callie nodded feeling dazed.

She snapped out of it when she heard Carol say, "There you are, Callie. Richard and I have been looking for you. It's time to go home now." She then turned to Damon and said, "Damon, I thought you might have already left."

"I was about to but there was a minor incident at the woods and Callie happened to be there", he said. "I just saw her and wanted to ask her if she saw anything."

"Well, did you, honey?" Carol asked her.

"There was girl who was hurt and there were people all around", Callie repeated Damon's words. "I got scared and ran back."

"Alright then", said Carol. "Before I forget, Damon, this is Callie. She's my niece and she'll be staying with us for a while." She then said to Callie, "Why don't you wait for me in the car? Your uncle's already there. I just want to talk to Damon about something and I'll be right with you."

Callie nodded and Damon said to her, "It was nice meeting you, Callie. And welcome to Mystic Falls."

"It was nice meeting you too, Damon", she answered and walked to the car. There was something unsettling about Damon. She didn't know exactly what it was but she just had a bad feeling about this. She sighed and got into Richard's car.

"How was your first day at Mystic Falls?" asked Richard.

"Exhausting and very confusing", answered Callie.

"I'm sure the travel must have you worn out", said Richard. Callie tried to focus on what he was saying but she was just way too preoccupied with her own thoughts. Soon, they were joined by Carol and after a relatively quiet ride home, she excused herself and changed into more comfortable clothes and replayed the events of the night back in her head. She felt as if she was forgetting something; as if there was a thin veil between her and something she was supposed to remember. It was so close, all she had to do was reach out and she would be able to touch it. But it was as if her hands were bound; she just couldn't do it. As she wondered what she was missing, she fell into a deep and peaceful slumber. Her last coherent thought was that her stay at Mystic Falls was going to be a crazy time in her life. What she didn't know was whether it was going to be the good kind of crazy or the bad kind but she had a strange feeling that it was going to be the latter.


	3. 2 New Kid on the Block

_AN: Well, I'm back and a I know I'm a bad author but doesn't it count that I'm back? Thank you so much for all the amazing reviews that you guys left us. I can't tell you how much the positive feedback means to me. Special thanks and credits to Janelle Howard for her character, Audrey Claremont, gleerox for Jordan and Lucas Jones and MayaRay for Carter Fell. So after much delay and without further ado, I present to you chapter 2. Please do read, review and follow. And before I forget, you guys can still send me characters if you want to. You just have to fill in the form in the first chapter and either leave a comment or PM me._

"Callie, are you ready yet?" Callie heard her aunt call out from outside her room. She quickly stuffed a few notebooks into her bag and slipped on her shoes. She took one last look at herself in the mirror and then wrenched the door open. "I'm ready", she said stepping out.

"Richard's going to drop you off today and you can catch a ride back with Tyler. You'll either have to take the bus or ride with Tyler from tomorrow onwards", Carol told her.

"I think I'd rather take the bus", said Callie. "Most of the others from my grade would probably be doing the same."

"Okay", said Carol nodding as she led her niece down the stairs. "You should go into the office as soon as you get there. I've already talked to the school; they should have everything ready for you. Now go ahead, Richard's waiting for you in the car."

"Got it", said Callie. "I'll see you later, Aunt Carol."

"Have a good day at school", Carol said to her with smile.

Callie soon found herself at school. She thanked Richard for the ride and turned back to face the school. It wasn't all that different from the school she had attended at Florida. The popular kids hung out in the parking lot, leaning against their cars, taking and laughing. A few others were hastily making their way towards the main building. Callie took a deep breath and joined them. A few wrong turns later, she made it to the office and a polite woman handed her, her time table and a booklet. She stepped out of the office and took a better look at her timetable and groaned when she realised she had History in the first hour. She grudgingly trudged up the stairs and soon found her History class room. She cursed when she realised that she was late. She slowly pushed the door open but froze when every pair of eyes in the class snapped on to her. The teacher stopped what he was saying and turned to face her as well. "You must be Callie Lockwood", he said.

"I am", answered Callie, feeling self-conscious for the first time in her life.

"Alright, take a seat but make sure you're in time for class from now on", he said.

"Yes sir", she answered and took the empty seat at the end of the first row. She checked her timetable again and saw that her teacher's name was Alaric Saltzman. She then pulled her notebook out and tried to figure out exactly what he was talking about when she felt someone kick her chair. She whipped around to glare at the person sitting behind her. She simply shook her head when she saw the two boys sitting right behind her snickering like a couple of children. The rest of the class went by without incident or distraction. When the bell rang, indicating the end of the class, she got to her feet and swiftly stepped onto the path of the guy who had been sitting behind her, stopping him dead in his track. "The next time you kick my chair, I swear I will cut you to pieces and string you up. Trust me, I have claws!" She fixed him with her most menacing frown and was satisfied to see him slack jawed.

It was then that she heard roaring laughter next to her. She turned around and asked, "Do you think this is funny?"

"A little", said the boy as he continued to laugh. "I've never seen a girl who could put my brother in his place or at the very least, shut him up. I'm Lucas Jones, by the way and the guy you just threatened to cut to pieces is Jordan."

"Well, it wasn't a pleasure meeting you", said Callie evenly.

"I can imagine", said Lucas with a smirk. "Not a lot of people say it but most of them do think it."

"Heard you're a Lockwood", said Jordan, speaking up for the first time. "It makes sense actually. I guess the temper runs in the family." Jordan let out a short "ouch" when Lucas hit him on the head.

"Just ignore him", Lucas said to Callie. "He was born without a filter." Jordan just glared at him. "What class do you have next?"

"AP English", answered Callie.

"With Ms White?" asked Lucas.

"The great white whale", quipped Jordan from behind him.

She consulted her time table once more and answered, "Yeah, looks like it."

"You're going to hate her", said Jordan.

"We have her class as well", said Lucas, cutting him off.

"We should get moving, unless you want her to bite your head off", Jordan to Lucas, walking towards the door. "You're welcome to join us", he said turning around at the door.

"Yeah", said Callie without missing a beat. She did need someone's help getting around. She grabbed her things and walked out with the brothers. "I still can't believe you two are related", she said as they entered the crowded hallway.

"You know what? I'm still working on believing that", said Lucas. "But my brother isn't too bad once you get past all the ego, there's a nice guy in there."

"I somehow doubt that", muttered Callie as they walked into the class room. The bell rang loud signalling the start of class.

-xx-

Callie sighed loudly as she sat down opposite Lucas and Jordan at the lunch table with her tray of food. "This is exhausting", she said.

"Are you talking about school?" asked Lucas and Callie nodded as she opened her juice pack. "It's not too bad. You'll get used to it."

"How many class do you have after this?" asked Jordan.

"Just one", answered Callie.

"Perfect", he said. "Carter Fell is throwing a party and you're coming."

"I can't just skip class on my first day of school", said Callie seriously.

"She's right", said Lucas, agreeing with her. "Besides, the real fun doesn't start until sun down."

"Fine", said Jordan sighing dramatically. "Just join us after class and don't you dare try to skip out of it. Carter Fell's parties are not something you miss."

"I'll program the address into your GPS after lunch", offered Lucas. "That way, you won't have to worry about getting lost."

"There's just one problem", said Callie. "I'm still fifteen. I can't drive."

"How did you get here then?" asked Jordan. "Don't tell me you took the bus!" His face contorted to express his disgust at the idea.

"I didn't", answered Callie. "Uncle Richard dropped me off but I'll be taking the bus from tomorrow onwards."

"That's a bad idea", said Lucas. "It's crowded and loud and believe me, you'll have a head ache long before you get to school in the morning. Jordan and I can take you to the party and we'll drop you off after that. The Lockwood mansion is on our way home. We could even give you a ride school."

"Are you sure?" asked Callie. "I really don't want to bother you."

"You won't be", Lucas assured her. "It's right on the way."

"And besides, we all know you can't pass up the opportunity to spend more time with me", said Jordan with a huge grin on his face.

"Actually, that's one of the reasons I'm considering turning your brother down", said Callie.

"Just ignore him", Lucas found himself saying again. "I'll be driving so you don't have to worry about this guy", he said pointing at his brother, "crashing into some tree in the middle of nowhere. I promise it will be a lot better than the bus."

"Okay", said Callie. "I would like that."

"It's settled then", said Jordan clapping his hands together.

Callie called Tyler and told him that she didn't need a ride and then called Carol and told her that she would be late. She assured her aunt that she would be home by 11 and hung up. "We're good to go", she said to the boys.

The rest of the day went well enough for Callie and by 3 pm, she was in the Jones' car and on her way to Carter's party. "We're going to take a minor detour but we'll make it to the party by 5. We just have to make a pit stop at home so we can make sure our brothers don't trash our home before the babysitter arrives", said Lucas.

"How old are they?" asked Callie.

"Eight and ten and a whole lot of trouble", answered Jordan.

"Believe it or not, they're both a whole lot worse than Jordan", said Lucas.

Soon they stopped in front of a large old fashioned house at the very edge of the town. The three stepped out of the car and Jordan led them to the house and as he opened the door he said, "Welcome to the house of insanity."

"That doesn't sound very pleasant", said Callie as she hesitated at the threshold.

"He's just joking", said Lucas, trying to put her at ease. "Things do get a little crazy here with the four of us living under one roof but it's not something you have to worry about."

Callie still hadn't stepped inside. Jordan turned around and said to her, "What's the matter? Are you a vampire or something? I'm inviting you in."

Lucas just rolled his eyes. "If she were a vampire, you'd be dead by now."

Callie finally stepped inside and said, "Vampires don't exist."

"Of course they don't", said Jordan with a wink. "We may not be founding family but we do know a thing or two about the supernatural."

"What are you talking about?" asked Callie, confused.

"You really didn't know, did you?" asked Lucas, turning to face her. "You'll probably hear about it once you're a little older. Until then, you should probably pretend like you don't know anything."

"I still have no idea what you're talking about so I guess I wouldn't have to pretend", said Callie.

Jordan rummaged through the fridge and came back with three cans of soda and handed one to Callie and another to his brother. "Mystic Falls was founded by the Lockwoods, the Gilberts, the Salvatores, the Forbes and the Fells ages ago. Back in the 1800s the town had a little vampire problem and so the founding families got together and came up with a plan to kill them. They rounded up all the vampires and put them in a church and let them burn. As far as anyone else knows, the people who died in the church were enemy soldiers."

"That just sounds like a conspiracy theory to me", said Callie still not believing a word of what Jordan had just told her. She turned to Lucas who just looked uncomfortable. "Don't tell me you believe in all that too." She just hoped that she was a good actress. Sure, Louis had told her a little about vampires but she didn't belong to Mystic Falls, she wasn't supposed to know about them.

"I've seen proof", said Lucas softly. "I'm pretty sure that the Salvatores are vampires. There's also Anna. There's something off about her too. I have a feeling that almost everyone in Mystic Falls is at least part supernatural."

"Oh yeah?" asked Callie. "Then what are you?"

"Very observant", answered Lucas shooting his brother a firm look.

"It doesn't matter if you don't believe us. I'm just going to ask you to be very careful around the people here", said Jordan.

Callie could feel the hair at the back of her neck stand up. Something about this whole conversation just didn't feel right. She wondered how far she would be able to get if she tried to run out of the house but she figured it wouldn't be too far. She looked back at the brothers who were looking expectantly at her. Luckily, she was saved by the bell from having to say something.

"We're not the enemies, Callie", said Lucas. "We're just the ones with the big mouths. You don't have to be afraid of us", he said and then went to get the door. She heard shuffling feet and then someone running up the stairs.

"Sounds like the boys are home", Jordan said to her. He walked to the fridge and took out a carton of orange juice and filled two glassed with it. Soon, the door to the kitchen swung open and two young boys walked in, pushing and shoving each other.

"Would the two of you behave", she heard Lucas' voice sternly reprimanding them.

"Whatever you say", said one of the boys as the two sat down on the counter next to Callie.

"Boys, I want you to say hi to Callie", Jordan said to them. "She's new to Mystic Falls. Callie, these are our brothers, Liam and Ben."

"Hi, Callie", the two boys murmured as they emptied their drinks.

Jordan took the empty glasses from them and Lucas said, "Go on to your rooms and change out of your clothes and get started on your homework. We're going out once Audrey gets here."

The boys didn't complain but made their way up the stairs. Soon, the baby sitter arrived and Lucas introduced her to Callie. "This is Audrey Claremont. She's a year above us and she really is as scary as she looks. She's the only one who can keep Ben and Liam in line."

"Nice to meet you, Callie", said Audrey. "So I take it you're going to the Fell party with these two bone heads."

"I am not a bone head", protested Jordan.

"I beg to differ", Audrey shot back at him and turned her attention back on to Callie.

She really could be intimidating if she wanted to be, thought Callie. "I am", she said. "Aren't you going to be there?"

"Parties aren't really my thing", said Audrey with a shrug. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not a loner or anything but I'm not like these two", she said pointing at the Jones twins. "I know my life wouldn't end if I missed the occasional party."

Lucas cleared his throat and then said, "Now that we've all gotten to know each other, we should get moving. I'll see you back at around midnight, Audrey."

The trio said their good byes to Audrey and they were back on the road. At exactly 5pm, they were at the Fell residence as promised. The house seemed pretty quiet to Callie and she wondered if the boys were right about the party. "Don't let appearances fool you", Lucas had told her. The three of them stepped onto the front porch together and Jordan rang the doorbell. A tall dark haired boy opened the door and Callie could hear the faint sounds of music from the inside.

"Hey, Carter", said Jordan. "This is Callie Lockwood, she's new in town."

Carter stepped to the side, letting them in. "Tyler's cousin. He told me you would be coming over. Great to meet you", he said extending his arm.

Callie awkwardly shook his outstretched arm. "It's nice to meet you too", she said. "Are you and Tyler friends?"

"Tyler is the big brother I never had", said Carter cracking a smile. "Our parents are pretty good friends too. Anyway, come on in. The party's way out back and it's just getting started."

The three of them walked in and Carter led them back out through the back door. "This is my parent's vacation home, as they like to call it. My aunt Meredith stayed here for a while but then she found an apartment within the town. So now, this place is all mine whenever I need to throw a party."

"Impressive", said Callie under her breath as she stared at the luscious lawns and the beautiful lights.

"I know", answered Carter with a sly smile as he left the three and went on to greet his other guests.

"Well, we're at a party, let's mingle!" said Jordan, smiling appreciatively at a blonde a few feet away from them. "I see someone I should go talk to, so if you'll excuse me…"

Callie just smiled and turned to Lucas, "Isn't there someone you want to talk to?"

"Actually I should go say hi to the guys from the football team", he said to her. "They invited me."

"Go ahead", said Callie. "I can survive; you don't have to worry about me."

"Are you sure?" he asked again.

"Positive", she told him.

"I'll be back within the hour", he said and then walked towards the group of football players. She knew for certain that they were football players because they were all wearing their team jackets and Tyler was among them. She caught his eye and he smiled at her before walking towards her. "Are you sure you don't need a ride back home?" he asked her.

"I'm sure", she answered. "Lucas said he'd drop me off."

"Good", said Tyler. "I'm glad you're making friends. Lucas is a nice guy. Jordan too, even though I'm sure you find that hard to believe."

"Why would you say that?" asked Callie.

Tyler laughed. "I'm sure you've already gotten an idea of what Jordan's like. He likes to flirt and he also likes to piss off people. Which one did he try on you?"

"He pissed me off within the first 10 minutes of the first class", said Callie.

"I wouldn't have expected any less", he said. "Despite all that, he really is loyal. If he's your friend, he's going to be squarely on team you."

"That's sweet", said Callie as she watched Jordan shamelessly flirting with the blonde they had seen when they had walked out. "Although it is a little hard to believe."

Tyler just laughed again. "If you need anything, just let me know", he said to her. "I'll be here until mid-night so I can even give you a ride if Lucas can't."

"I'll keep that in mind", said Callie as Tyler walked away.

She wandered the open space for a while, listening in on a conversation here and contributing to a conversation there. She was soon tired of the idle socializing and she checked her watch and was surprised to see that not an hour had passed. She leaned against one of the tables with a cup of beer in her hands. "Tired already?" she heard a voice ask her.

She turned around and saw Carter standing right behind her. "Something like that", she answered. "I guess I'm just bored because I don't know anyone here other than Lucas, Jordan and Tyler."

"You know me", said Carter with a smile. "This party is a who's who of Mystic Falls." He pointed at a group of girls who were talking animatedly and said, "Those are the cheer leaders and the blonde in the middle of all that chaos is Caroline Forbes. She's the head cheerleader and Miss Mystic Falls this year."

"I knew she looked familiar", said Callie recognizing her.

"The guy next to Tyler is Matt Donovan, quarterback and he's also Caroline's boyfriend." He scanned the crowd and then continued, "The rest of the interesting ones in her year are missing. Anyway, there's Elena Gilbert, Bonnie Bennett and Stefan Salvatore. He's on the football team too and he just started this year. He moved in with his brother earlier this year."

"Salvatore?" asked Callie. "I think Jordan said something about them."

"He might have", said Carter giving her a knowing look. "Those two are quite the mystery. The older brother seems to be getting along well with the rest of the town's adults so I don't think they're a threat of any kind."

"Please tell me that you don't believe in vampires too", said Callie trying and failing at resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

"Of course they told you, the loud mouths that they are", said Carter, shaking his head. "The two of them are named after the Salvatore brothers who lived during the civil war but Lucas and Jordan are convinced that they are the same people."

Callie just stared at him in disbelief. "You're joking."

"I'm actually not", said Carter. "Anyway, it doesn't really matter. Lucas and Jordan both seem to like you. If there are any vampires running around town, you're safest with them."

"Why would you say that?" asked Callie.

"Let's just say that they have a gift", answered Carter.

"And what about you?" she asked him.

"What I have is more of a curse", he said, his face twisting into a rueful smile.

Before Callie could ask him to elaborate, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She took it out and saw "Louis" flashing on the screen. "I really have to take this", she said to Carter. She apologized and stepped away before answering the call.

"How's life in Mystic Falls?" she heard Louis asking her.

"It depends on how you look at it", said Callie, still a little lost in thought. "I made a couple of friends. They seem pretty open to the supernatural world but the crazy thing is, they believe in vampires."

"Of course", said Louis. "I told you the other day. Mystic Falls has a history of vampires. It makes sense that some of the kids know the story."

"I got the distinct sense that they're supernatural too", said Callie.

"May be they are", said Louis calmly. "You didn't think you were alone, did you? How is vampire bite girl doing?"

"What are you talking about?" asked Callie, confused. "I don't know a vampire bite girl."

"I'm talking about the girl who got attacked the other night while you were at that party", Louis elaborated.

"That wasn't a vampire bite", said Callie. "At least I don't think it was. The girl was bleeding and people were trying to help her."

"You told me that you heard the sheriff ask her if anyone else had seen the bite marks", said Louis. She could hear him pacing on the other end of the line.

"I did", said Callie, thinking back to the conversation. "I was a little freaked out. I probably just made a mistake."

"Are you sure?" he asked her, concern evident in his voice.

"I am", said Callie firmly. "I'm sure."

"Alright, kiddo", said Louis. "I just wanted to check up on you. I'll talk to you later. You should go enjoy that party and do other regular teenage things. And remember, keep your nose clean."

"I will", Callie promised him and hung up. She wondered why she would have told Louis that she heard the sheriff asking if anyone else had seen the bite. Both memories were clear in her mind's eye and she couldn't come up with an explanation. All that thinking in circles was only giving her a migraine. So, instead she decided to shove all that to the back of her mind and enjoy the part and enjoy, she did.


End file.
